A new trailer has been revealed for Kaiju No. 8 has been serialized in Shonen Jump+ since 2020. Thus far, the series from Naoya Matsumoto spans ten volumes, but has not concluded. On YouTube, TOHO Animation shared a glimpse at the anime adaptation, which is being produced by Production I.G. The adaptation was announced in 2022 and has been met with mixed reactions.
Kaiju No. 8 Could Be Better Than Fans Have Initially Thought
The trailer, which is the second released so far, has an explosive and bloody start. There is already a kaiju attack shown, as well as several glimpses of the series' main characters. If that wasn't enough, the series' main premise twist of Kafka Hibino becoming a kaiju himself is revealed. The trailer is a good representation of the primary elements of the series, showing Kafka, Mina Ashiro, and Reno Ichikawa. Mina and Kafka aim to be part of the Defense Force, but only Mina has succeeded, while Kafka is on a clean-up crew to tidy up after attacks, as seen in the brief glimpse.
Additionally, the official Twitter page for Kaiju No. 8 has shared two key visuals, revealing some character designs. These have been met with much more positivity than previous glimpses were given. Fans were comparing the art style of Production I.G. alongside mangaka Naoya Matsumoto's style within the series' earlier designs and were not pleased with the results. Now, reactions are more optimistic as there seem to have been significant improvements to the designs, with the animation also making things appear better with movement incorporated. Nonetheless, there are likely to still be reservations as with any new adaptation of a beloved manga.
Production I.G. has previously worked on hit anime series, including Kuroko's Basketball, Ace of the Diamond, Ao Haru Ride, Haikyuu!, and Psycho-, among others. Additionally, the trailer lists Kaiju supervision being undertaken by Studio Khara, which is known for its work on the Evangelion franchise. With so many successful credits, this series still has a lot of hope. The Japanese voice cast currently includes Masaya Fukunishi for Kafka, Asami Seto for Mina, and Wataru Katoh for Reno. Fukunishi previously provided voice work for Tokyo Revengers. Seto voices Nobara Kugisaki in Jujutsu Kaisen and Katoh provided some voice work for Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. Kaiju No. 8 will release in April of 2024.
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Source: Toho Animation on YouTube, Kaiju No. 8 on Twitter (1, 2)
